When Alan Shearer made up his mind to leave Blackburn in 1996, it was not a given he would be joining Newcastle United.

Kevin Keegan and Alex Ferguson were invited to a house belonging to a friend of Shearer’s in rural Cheshire, where they were asked to make their pitch - separately of course - to the England striker.

Ferguson knew Keegan was in the box seat but Shearer was prepared to give the Manchester United manager a fair hearing.

It was tempting. Obviously, they could match Newcastle’s salary offer and Manchester United had just won a third Premier League title in four years.

But the pull of Tyneside was strong and if one small detail helped cement Shearer’s decision, it was this.

Shearer joined Newcastle after a personal meeting with Keegan (Image: Reuters)

Shearer asked Keegan and Ferguson who would take penalties if he joined.

Keegan’s answer was instant and simple. You.

Ferguson hesitated. After all, his penalty taker at the time was Eric Cantona.

That was that. Game well and truly over for Fergie.

Shearer has never confirmed that tale but it rings true. It sums up the essential selfishness of a top-class striker.

It typifies the necessary size of ego, the epic single-mindedness.

Michael Owen was selfish, single-minded and had an ego. Those queueing up to point that out as they lambast him for his observations in his latest book are stating the blindingly obvious.

Owen was involved in a high profile Twitter spat with Shearer earlier this week (Image: Getty Images)

But how come there are plenty in football queuing up to portray Owen as some sort of dishonourable rat?

As far as he is concerned, he is telling some home truths.

And that is fine. Have little sympathy for his grievances, sure. As he details his fallout with Shearer, take sides with the latter, that is everyone’s prerogative.

No right-minded judge would disagree with Owen’s declaration that Fabio Capello was a shocking England manager or that David Beckham maximised relatively limited talent but you are more than entitled to.

Just as Newcastle supporters have every right to be offended and annoyed with Owen’s observations about them, their club and about his ill-fated time there.

But someone saying exactly what he thinks, for being honest to himself, is hardly a hanging offence.

Michael Owen's new book brought out some home truths

Even if he has not done that or been that in the past, it does not make his sudden frankness reprehensible.

Roy Keane is mostly lionised for his public pronouncements.

He has been laying into Ferguson again, saying he would not have been surprised had Sir Alex had his wife on the staff at Old Trafford, that son Darren was ‘very lucky’ to win a medal with United and pointing out that Fergie’s brother Martin was the club’s chief scout ‘for a long time’.

Claiming he is owed an apology by Ferguson, Keane said he ‘had no interest in talking to the man’.

Keane - whose father, sadly, passed away last month - also trained his sights on Jon Walters, having this to say about a player with whom he has had a long-running feud.

“(He was) On TV. Crying about his family situation. You know, how about lying low for a while, taking it easy? Have a look at his medals. Wouldn’t take long.”

Walters had appeared on a television show and talked about the impact his mother’s death had on him when he was just 11 and about the pain he suffered when his brother died in 2018.

Yet there will be some out there who continue to laud Keane for brutally telling it like it is.

But when Owen finally dares to speak his mind, he is pilloried from all angles.

There are a lot of things you can criticise Michael Owen for .. but for finally speaking what he sees as the truth about the ups and downs of his career is not one of them.